What helps post COVID shortness of breath?

Hello @melaniego and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I wanted to more quickly connect you with other members who may be able to provide you with some support by way of their experience in choosing a nebulizer so you will notice that I have moved your post into an existing discussion which you can find here:
- What helps post COVID shortness of breath?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/hydrochlaquid/

Members like @dvierheller @gillysmom and @sueinmn may be able to help support you.

I wonder if you've inquired with your doctor to see if there is a non-plastic, medical grade nebulizer he/she would be able to prescribe based on your symptoms?

if you are wanting a nebulizer for your LUNGS that will dispense your albuterol then i recommend a compressor nebulizer- by phillips respironics it uses a latex free tube and mouth peace. Ombra has one as well . Ombra® 120V Table Top Nebulizer Compressor System.

additionally face steamer nebulizers waste medi cation because they dispense continuously- while mouth pieces are activated by breath and therefore do not waste medication. this will also be perfect for the prepackaged medicine tubes

I'm sorry to report that I am not familiar with any nebulizer that does not use plastic - in the mouthpiece or tubing. You might try contacting the respiratory therapy department of a hospital to see if such an item exists, although even hospitals use disposable medical grade plastic tubing and mouthpieces or masks.
Sue

Covid clinic sounds like a great idea but I don’t think we have any like that in my area and my pulmonologist is said to be the best in town and yet he’s not familiar with a lot of the things that are being used in places like Israel and other parts of country especially on the East Coast if you could recommend where to find a pulmonary clinic in Iowa I would really appreciate it and somewhere where I could tell someone my symptoms and see if it’s important or something I just need to look aside

Anyone else have shortness of breath following a mild case of COVID?
I found an article out of Yale very interesting. It gives a hint as to why I have shortness of breath and muscle pain following COVID, even though my O2 is usually 98% and I have no lung or heart damage. I can’t post a link because I’m too new here, but if you do a Google search on shortness of breath after even mild COVID you can probably find it.

With some very specialized equipment that is available only a few places in the US, they were able to determine that the muscles aren’t taking in oxygen properly. The article is from Feb 2022. I wonder if they’ve figured out anything more about the cause? My muscles damage so easily it’s ridiculous. I had a 3-hr surgery a year ago. I don’t know what position they put my arms in, but when the pain meds wore off both shoulders were so painful I couldn’t use my arms for 2 weeks. Husband and daughter had to dress me, feed me, etc. My legs don’t get stronger when I go for slow walks; they just hurt more. Does anyone else have symptoms like this?

I had Covid back in August of last year. I too had shortness of breath for quite a while with chest pain and other aches and pains that were not normal. My heart rate was high for 3 months. I am so sorry that you are having these issues. I found that Covid "attacks" the areas that you are weak in and ramps up any inflammation that you already had. It took me a few months to get past the extreme fatigue and I am still battling an issue from Covid that I cannot get answers too (8 months later). Sometimes, these issues just have to run their course and wear themselves out. Covid is brutal. I am praying for you. God Bless You!

@ldmcfate, welcome. I noticed that you wished to post a URL to an article with your post. You will be able to add URLs to your posts in a few days. There is a brief period where new members can't post links. We do this to deter spammers and keep the community safe. Clearly the link you wanted to post is not spam. Please allow me to post it for you.

- Despite Recovering from COVID-19, Shortness of Breath Persists https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/despite-recovering-from-covid-19-shortness-of-breath-persists/

Shortness of breath is a common residual side effect that many members talk about here. For this reason, I moved your post to this related and active discussion:
- What helps post COVID shortness of breath? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/hydrochlaquid/

May I ask what the surgery was for? Have you worked with a physiotherapist to get safe ways to help build muscle?

Hello! Thank you for welcoming me. The surgery was for a redo of a repair I had done of a large paraesophageal hernia two years previously. So far the redo is holding, for which I’m very grateful. I have S-curve scoliosis, and that makes recurrence more likely.

I haven’t seen a physiotherapist. I’ve been hesitant about working with doctors because of problems I had with doctors when I had many side effects from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic 13 years ago. Still dealing with tendon damage and scarring from that, also memory retention and a few other things. Now long COVID on top of that. I do have a great DO as my primary physician.

Thank you for the kind words! It’s great to find a place to commiserate together, even when we can’t always find answers. I think my issues with long COVID are complicated by other preexisting health issues. I have severe scoliosis, hypothyroidism, damage from taking a fluoroquinolone antibiotic 13 years ago, and I’ve been through a repair and redo of a large paraesophageal hernia in the past 3 years. But I’m blessed to have a very supportive husband and that helps a lot. Best wishes, and may God bless you to find your own answers and healing.